Mail-collector&#39;s recorder.



// Illllllllllllllllllll/ llll l l .UIllIIIIIIIIIIIW'/{l OYENTR Patented Sept. I2, |899.

J. D. MILLER. MAIL coLLEcTons RECORDER.

(Application led Dec. 24, 1898.) y

(No Model.) 7/

Ivy 67 70 wnNEssEs:

UNITED l STATES PATENT OEEICE. I

.IOIIN D. MILLER, OF IVASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF '.lIIREE-,EIGIIIIIS TO VILLIAM C. I-IASKELL, OF CLEVELAND, OI'IIO.

MAIL-COLLECTORS RECORDER] SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,024, dated September 1.2, 1899.

I Application filed December 24,1898. Serial No. 700,244. (No model.) i

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at YVashing ton, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Collectors Recorders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andy exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 1o to make and use the same, reference lbein g had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This inventionrelates to a recorder or detector to be used, primarily, in the postal service; and it is designed to enable the authorities to keep a record of each collector of mail, such record being made by each col lector to be referred to in the event of a comzo plaint being made by patrons of the mail. service of the failure of a collector to take mail from a particular box or boxes on his vrespective route. Such complaints are frequent,

notwithstanding the service of inspectors,

and they are not always on routes in outlying districts, but onroutes in the center of cities. In the event of a complaint it is diiiicult to prove neglect of duty against the collector, and in view of this difficulty it is desirable 3o to have a system whereby each collector makes a permanent record of the discharge ofhis duty, whether it be for or against him.

The object of my inventionk is to provide a recorder having a record medium entirely ini closed within a case, such medium being adapted to receive and retain a print or im pression corresponding to a mark upon the respective letter-box; and it consists of the parts and combination of parts hereinafter 4o more fully pointed out in the following specilication and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan of the recorder with the bottom plate removed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line X X, Fig 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of recorder with plate 17nd removed. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a box, broken away and 5o provided with a slot in one of its sides. Fig.

to extend into the ring l.

.7 is an elevation of alette1'box,'broken away, `the door of the box being open, with marker shown in position on said door and the re eerder held inposition to be operated.

1 represents a ring having the shoulders 2 55 formed therein at the top and bottom.vk

3 is a flat ring adapted to iitwithin the ring 1 and revolve on the upper shoulders 2 of the same. 4 are lugs depending from said ring 3 and adapted when` the ring 3 is in position 6o There may be any number of these lugs, and they form guides for a marker, as will be more fully hereinafter set out. The periphery of the ring 3 is notched and each notch numbered, 65 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

5 is a screw-threaded collar or flange extending from the ring 3, as shown in Fig.

6 is a leaf-spring formed integral with the ring 1 at a suitable point and provided with 7o a suitable dog 7 at its free end, adapted to 4engage the notches in the periphery of theV .flat ring 3, as seen in Fig. 2.

8 is a suitable thumb-piece (see Figs. 2 and 3) by means of which the dog maybe readily 75 released from said notches. The movement of said dog is limited by means of the lug il, which is/formed integral with the ring 1 and vforms a stop.

10 is a pilot formed integral with or rigidly 8@ secured to the ring 1 and provided with an opening 11, which is coincident with a slot 12, cut through said ring 1.

13 is a handle rigidly secured at both ends to the ring 1 and. having a struck-up portion 8 5 14, fromwhich a tongue 15 is cut and bent downward, so as to bear upon the iiat ring 3, thereby securely holding the ring 3 on the shoulders 2 ofthe ring 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. I cut out a portion of the forward 9o part of the handle and form an index-point 16. (See Fig. 2.)

17 is a dat ring similar to ring 3, which is also adapted to rest and revolve on `the shoulders 2 of the ring 1. 95

18 is a flange or collar extending from the ring 17, such collarbeing provided with screwthreads which are adapted to engage with the threads of the flange 5 of the ring 3.

The rings 3 and 17 lare provided, respecroo tively, with grooves 19 and 20, to be hereinafter referred to.

2l is a lug extending from the ring 3, and 22 is a rib extending outwardly from the end ol.' the same.

23 is a strip of paper secured in the recorder around the lugs or guides 4, the edges of the paper extending into and heid firmly in the grooves 19 and 20, while the ends of the paper abut against the sides of the rib 22 on the lng 21, whereby said paper is held against endwise movement.

24 is an inked ribbon or other suitable marking medium which is positioned in between the strip of paper 23 and the innerends of the guides or lugs 4, and adapted to move with the paper, the paper and the ribbon being moved with the rings 3 and 17 by means of the rib 22 and grooves 19 and 20.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a letter-box broken away,with the door 2G shown in open position, on which is secured a marker or die 27, on the top of which is formed a suitable character or characters. Each box on a route will be designa-ted by a different character. The recorder is shown in this tigure descending upon the marker 27.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slight modification, in which 3 is a disk having notches and index characters similar to those shown in Fig. 2 on the ring 3. 4a are lugs or guides extending from said disk. 17 is another disk provided with an annular iiange or collar 18 extending in front of the lugs 4H. 3l is a lug extending from the disk 17 1, provided with a female thread adapted to engage the thread on the lug 30, thereby securing the disks together. The outside collar 1 is exactly like the collar described in connection with the other figures. The disks 3 and 17a are provided, respectively, with grooves 191L and 201, in which the strip of paper 23 is secured. The handle 13 has hereinbefore been described.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a portion of a box in which the marker is secured immediately behind the slot in one of the walls of the box. It will of course be understood in this connection that it would be necessary to bend the body of the marker at right angles to the wall of the box to which it is secured. The pilot 10 is illustrated as -just entering the slot. It should, perhaps, be noted that this is not the preferred construction.

The routes of collection are each designated by a distinct character or characters. IVe will for purposes of illustration assume that route A A is to be collected. The collector will place the swelled portion 14 of the handle in the palm of his hand and with his index-tinger resting on the stop 9 the spring-dog 7 is disengaged from the notch in which it is resting by pressing his thumb against lthe thumbpiece S, and with his other hand he will revolve the rings 3 and 17 until the index-iigure 1 is opposite the pointer 16, whereupon the dog is released and snaps into one of the notches on the periphery of the ring 3. XVhen box No. 1 on route A A is reached the collector opens the door for the purpose of collecting the mail in said box; but before closing the door he places the recorder on the marker 27 and forces it down until the marker strikes the ribbon, thereby forcing the ribbon firmly against the paper strip 23, and thus printing the characters A A 1 on the paper 23. This operation is repeated at each box on the route, and upon his return the collector turns in the strip of paper to the superintendent, who at a glance can readily see whether or not the collector has collected from every box on his respective route. This paper is tiled away as evidence for or against a collector in the event of acomplaint ot non-collection at any particular box. These complaints are very common and cause the various oiliccs considerable trouble, as it becomes a question of the collectors statement against that of the party complaining, whereas the use of my recorder obviates this particular trouble, as it makes an indisputable record.

It is of course obvious that the recorder shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 or that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 can be used with equal advantage, and that instead of the printing-marker 27 I may use a marker that will make impressions in the paper or one that will cut the characters out of the paper. Thus a marker that will mark the characters on, in,or through the recording-paper can be used with equal advantage.

The lugs 4 form guides for guiding the marker to a point on the paper directly opposite the pilot 10, thus securing an even successive marking en said paper.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

1. A recorder of the character described comprising a recording medium, and a revoluble printing-guide.

2. The combination with a marker, of arccorder comprising a recording medium and a revoluble printing-guide.

3. In a recorder of the character described the combination with a revoluble ring having printing-guides, of means for securing a recording medium to the inner face of said ring.

4. In a recorder of the character described, the combination with a series of printingguides integral with and forming a revoluble ring, means for securing a recording medium to said ribbon and a recording-ribbon interposed between the recording medium an d the printing-guides.

5. The combination with a support, such as a letter-box, and a marker rigidly secured therein, of a recorder comprising arevoluble printing-guide for the marker, a recording medium carried by said guide, and a printing substance interposed between the guide and recording medium.

(5. The combination with a support such as a letter-box, a marker rigidly secured with- IOO IIO

in said box, in combination with a recorder ring and a pilot secured to said ring immehzwing means for recording said marker, and diately in front of said slot. ro a pilot secured on the outside of said recorder In testimon y whereof I aix my signature adapted for engagement with the marker. in presence of two Witnesses.

7. The combination with two face-plates or JOHN D. MILLER. rings and :L series of guides formed between IVitnesses: the same, of :t ring surrounding the periph- M. C. LILLIS,

eries of said rings, a slot in said surrounding EDWIN S. CLARKSON 

